Lewis & Short

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vallo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [vallum], in milit. lang., to surround with a rampart and palisades, to palisade, intrench, circumvallate (syn. saepio).

  1. I. Lit.: castra vallantem Fabium adorti sunt, Liv. 9, 41, 15: castra vallari placuit, Tac. H. 2, 19; so, castra, Auct. B. Alex. 27, 6; 30, 2; Plin. 15, 18, 20, § 76: vallare noctem, i. e. to intrench themselves at night, Tac. G. 30: nulli vallārant oppida muri, Luc. 4, 224.
    Absol.: muniendo vallandoque militem firmabant, Tac. H. 4, 26.
  2. II. Transf., in gen., to fortify, protect, defend with something: elephantis aciem utrimque vallaverat, Flor. 2, 8 fin.: Macedoniam suam armis ferroque, id. 2, 12, 4: Pontus et regiis opibus et ipsā naturā regionis vallatus, Cic. Arch. 9, 21: urbs Capsa in mediā Africā sita anguibus arenisque vallata, Flor. 3, 1, 14: cum gladio te vallare scieris, vallum ferre desinito, Liv. Epit. 57: vallatus bello, Luc. 6, 29: videbant Catilinamvallatum indicibus atque sicariis, Cic. Mur. 24, 49: haec omnia quasi saepimento aliquo vallabit disserendi ratione, id. Leg. 1, 24, 62: jus legatorum divino jure esse vallatum, id. Har. Resp. 16, 34: ignotae cumulis vallatus harenae, Prop. 3, 16 (4, 15), 29: templa praesenti numine vallata, Val. Max. 9, 11, ext. 4: hydra venenatis vallata colubris, Lucr. 5, 27; cf. Val. Fl. 1, 697; Sen. Herc. Oet. 1932; Sil. 7, 407: sol radiis frontem vallatus acutis, Ov. H. 4, 159: vallantur planctibus arae, Stat. Th. 10, 564.
    To surround: abyssus vallavit me, Vulg. Jonae, 2, 6.